Only a month and some weeks after his birthday. A day he always looked forward to, a day filled with love and being bombarded with gifts, though being a kid, he mostly paid attention to receiving the gifts, wondering what he would get each year, hoping it would be one of the things on his list, the things he begged for to his parents nearly every day. He too, didn’t want to be an outsider, an outsider that couldn’t play with others purely because he didn’t have the same toys. Even then fitting in was a big problem for him. He could remember it so clearly, coming home that day, it was a friday filled with rain. Completely soaked, he had come home to his parents, despite the bad weather a wide smile was formed on his lips. Weekend, it meant he would do nothing but fun things, like usual, accompanied by his parents.
As soon as he had stepped into the living room, his eyes fell onto his mother, seated on the couch, eyes fixed on the tv. It was strange to him, something seemed different, not only the atmosphere but the way she wasn’t cooking like she would always do around this time, but being nothing but a kid, there were no worries, no thoughts about anything bad happening, because he was there with his parents, who would protect him no matter what. The two people he trusted more than anything, not because he chose to, but because he grew up with only them. It was something carved in his brain, parents, were to be trusted.
It was different than usual, though they never went out to eat, his parents had decided to go to a nice restaurant, or so they told him. However, first, they had to pick something up at the house of an uncle of him, he had never met the man before. A long trip they had went on, until they finally reached their destination. Completely oblivious to what was about to happen, he had followed them inside and greeted the man. The warm smile on his uncle’s lips, it was what drew him in. What made him trust the man, what made him trust the whole situation. It showed just how easily kids trust people, how easily they believe things. He was told to stay put in the living room, and he did. The sound of the creaking front door closing went by unnoticed to him. He was still seated on the couch, eyes fixed on the toy in his hand, completely oblivious to the fact, that his parents had abandoned him, his parents, those he trusted more than anything.
Days later, he was still waiting for them, after the man had lied to him about his parents returning after a few days, he had opened up to him completely as he had the need to play, to be a kid and to get his daily dose of attention, it wasn’t anything unusual, it was something every kid craved for, and if not there was definitely something wrong inside their head. The amount of trust he had build up for the man was almost sickening. Spending days together, eating, watching movies, playing with the toys his parents had left behind for him, he had no worries. Not even the thought of having to go to school had occured him, as he was accompanied by a man, an adult, and adults always took care of everything. He wasn’t a kid for nothing, a kid, with no responsibilities other than making sure his toys wouldn’t get lost. It had become normal for him, though he would ask when his parents would come every day, he felt comfortable around the man.
The sky had turned dark already and it was past dinner time, hence why Yejun had become a little impatient and whiny, having not eaten anything for a while, he was craving for food and even though his uncle had told him they wouldn’t eat until a couple of friends of him came over, he kept asking. It was something kids did, everyone knew that. Something he couldn’t be blamed for, yet even now, years later, the thought of that being the reason for everything that happened hadn’t left his mind. He couldn’t understand, he was just a kid, eleven years old with no idea about life whatsoever, no idea about all the bad things that could happen to him, how could someone do such a thing, to just a kid, he couldn’t grasp the situation even years later.
After having continuesly asked about when they were going to eat, those people had arrived. The whole time he had felt uncomfortable, the looks of the men sickened him. Those were the looks you didn’t give a kid, not those eyes. Several hours, he hadn’t gotten his food yet and he had started feeling more and more uncomfortable, as if they talked about him when he wasn’t looking, as if they watched his back when he simply walked through the livingroom, he had started getting scared, but there was one thing preventing him from hiding himself in his room, which was the fact that he trusted his uncle, that if anything would happen, his uncle would be there so nothing would happen to him.
2 AM, and he hadn’t been told to go to bed yet, but he didn’t mind since he was allowed to stay up longer. Or so he thought, until a familiar voice called out his name. Though rather than being told he had to go to bed, he was told to follow his uncle. So without thinking twice, he happily stumbled after the man, curious about what they were going to see as he followed him towards the basement along with the other men. As told to do, he simply sat himself down on a chair, eyes big and round pure because of all the curiosity he had towards what was going to happen, was he finally going to get his meal? Was it a secret party? Was he going to get presents?
Ragged breathing and pained groans, those were the only sounds escaping him at that moment. Hands chained together, big red marks clearly visible on his wrists where the chains had cut unto his skin. Body covered by nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist, stained with blood, sweat and other liquids people wouldn’t even be able to dream of being used in such a situation. Only a thin layer of skin covered the ribs that were very clear to be seen. Various cuts and scares lined his skin, not only on his face but on every other part of his body. Burn marks, cuts, scratches and even bite marks. There wasn’t anything left of the bright 11 year old that had entered that one basement little over a year before that. His head hung down, as he was close to falling asleep, the silence being something comforting to him as they had left him alone there, finally. Eyes closed, and dark bags formed underneath them. He wasn’t much of a human being anymore.. just an empty minded sack of bones.. something people used to fend their frustrations on.
[Day unknown, winter 2009]
His body was sprawled on the ground, aching badly and covered in all kinds of liquids, most of those didn’t belong on his body. The shirt they had given him to wear, sticked to his body and the jeans hugging his waist we’re clearly too big. But he didn’t complain, at least they had spared him some clothes. His eyes were fixed on the lock, that mostly prevent him from leaving. This day, it was different. The door was opened, just an inch, light peeked through it into the room. Sun, something he hadn’t seen for years. There wasn’t a sound of anything alive ringing in his ears other than his own heavy breathing. His body arched towards the light, craving it, desiring to be completely surrounded by the light, by people, by anything living for that matter. The sun that day, it had been a hint of hope for him, a reason to live, a reason to risk.
He pushed himself to rest onto his slender arms, though they looked like nothing more than sticks, they were fortunately able to carry the rest of his body weight as he nearly crawled towards the door. He had been more than fortunate that day, for knowing they had left, for having them being stupid enough to forget to lock the door, and for having them hurting him to the point they thought he wouldn’t be able to move anymore, thinking he didn’t need chains to keep him in place. How wrong they had been, even if he had hardly any energy left, the opportunity of leaving, the thought of living, it was too big, he couldn’t let something as stupid as not having much energy take that from him. It could’ve been the only chance for him, he didn’t want to spend more years, locked up in there, and die a painful death.
Minutes had passed, when he reached the door, with soft suppressed groans he had pushed himself up the stairs. Fingers wrapped around the handle, tugging the door open. Nervosity flowed through his veins, the thought of something going wrong, the thought of them finding him trying to escape, it was terrifying, he knew he would be done for, though it didn’t stop him. Fingers dragged against the wooden door as he pushed himself passed it. The hallway, he hadn’t seen for so long, that door his parents had told him to walk through, he hadn’t seen in so long. But there wasn’t any time to think, only time to do, hence why he sped up. The sound of his bones cracking with each step, he ignored completely. There was no time for pain, no time for thoughts, only time to escape.
Now making his way past the front door, a feeling of relief made him let his shoulders sink down. Feet now moved on their own, despite the pain, he ran. He ran so far, for minutes, perhaps even hours until he grew exhausted, no more energy to run. Body dropped down to the ground, colliding with the snow coated tiles. Cheek resting against the white softness on the ground as the warm tears rolled down his cheek and created small holes in the snow, melting away the whiteness. At that point he knew he was free, despite the fear in the back of his mind, telling him they would find him again, the now 16 year old boy knew he was free.
